Music to your ears By Sean Carruthers
Searching for new ways to heighten your sensory experiences? Introducing five tech toys that are reconceptualizing the delivery of music to your ears… and images of your loved ones.
 Delphi MyFi xm2go
If you really think that video killed the radio star, it's time to take a look at satellite radio. With old school terrestrial radio you can only go so far before you lose the signal, but with satellite radio you can get your favourite stations virtually anywhere in North America. XM Radio has just launched in Canada, bringing hundreds of commercial-free digital channels into the country.
One of the most versatile XM receivers is Delphi's MyFi xm2go, a portable device that you can connect up to your car stereo and home stereo. It also has a built-in rechargeable battery, so you can tote it just like you would your iPod. All you'll need to do is get an XM radio subscription, and you'll have everything you need to enjoy satellite radio – no matter where you are.
Suggested price: $250 CAD (plus monthly subscription)
 Creative Zen Vision
Portable media players have come a long way over the past couple of years, adding first photo, then video capability. Apple's new video-enabled iPod has reaped most of the portable video buzz, but it's not the only portable video player out there. Creative's new Zen Vision comes with 30 gigabytes onboard – enough for up to 120 hours of video, thousands of photos, or a maximum of 15,000 songs.
At 640 x 480 resolution, the screen is one of the biggest out there (twice the size of the iPod's), and the player can handle most of today's new video formats. It has a slot for memory cards, so you can view photos directly from your digital camera or transfer photos to the Vision's hard drive. Best of all, it has a removable battery, so you can buy an extra and swap it when you're running low on juice.
Suggested price: $500 CAD
 Sennheiser PXC-250
Whether you're travelling by plane or limo, or just trying to get work done in a crowded space, it's hard to escape background noise. Headphone giant Sennheiser has the solution for those who want serenity on the go. The PXC-250 is a lightweight set of headphones with NoiseGard technology that cancels out unwanted low-end noise (like airplane engines… or the baby kicking up a fuss three rows back) with the flick of a switch. It will work with your MP3 player, CD player or portable DVD, and it comes with a belt clip so the battery pack stays put even when you're moving around. The headphones fold, flip and lock together, making a compact little bundle that's perfect for travel.
Suggested price: $200 CAD
 Samsung Yepp YP-F1 (1 GB)
If you're a huge music fan, but don't want to carry around a bulky player, check out Samsung's YP-F1. This thumb-sized clip-on player comes with up to a gigabyte of memory – that's somewhere between 250 and 500 songs – and it easily tucks into a shirt pocket when not in use.
Despite its tiny size, the player also comes with a built-in voice recorder, FM radio and the ability to record directly from the radio. It comes with three different faceplates, so you can change the colour of the player to suit your mood.
Suggested price: $230 CAD
Kodak EasyShare Picture Viewer
Always keep your loved ones close with Kodak's EasyShare Picture Viewer. The Picture Viewer comes with a 2.5-inch colour LCD screen for showing off your digital photographs. You can move your Secure Digital card from your camera straight to the Picture Viewer to review your shots, or you can store your favourite pictures on a dedicated card (sold separately) that always stays with the viewer.
Even better: If you have one of Kodak's EasyShare photo printers, you can drop the Picture Viewer into place and print directly from the viewer's menu system. The EasyShare Photo Viewer has 32 megabytes of built-in memory, which is enough to store about 150 optimized shots. It's a great way to review your shots without killing off your camera's battery.
Suggested price: $130 CAD
(Sean Carruthers is a freelance technology writer, editor of GlobalHermit.com, and a tech researcher at G4TechTV Canada. He is also the host of the Lab Rats podcast.)
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